Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-11-19
minded Agnes of the aterrible woman

cbildre, 90 ba ho5 art;o;n.taa ,,,ova3 m he !
the innocent obstacles in the wav Of his suc-
cass On tho other bard he had nrivate,v |
secnrad a Arm aIlv in his sjster-in-Iaw
..Hava a little nat;ance the new LADY Mont
harry had said sand leave me to turn the |
;pauepce Of the children In the right djrec
tion. they can persuade her to listen to YOU.
and thew shallri
The two ladies had accompanied Henry
and some other guests who went away at the
same time TO the railway station. and had lust
driven back to the house when the servant
announced that IA person Of the name of Rol- !
land was waiting to see her ladyship."
as it a woniant"
'"Yes, my lady"
Young Lady Montbarry turned TO Agnes.
This is the very person." she said, "whom
your lawyer thought likely to help when he
was trying to trace the lost courier"
You don't mean the English maid who
was with Lady Montbarry at Veneer
MY dearl don't speak of Montbarry's hor
rid widow by the name which is my name
now. Stephen and have arranged to call
her by her foreign title before she was mar
ried am Lady Mentharry,' and She Is the
countess. In that way there VIII be no con-
fusion. Yes, Mrs. Holland was In my ser
vice before she became the countess mad.
She was perfectly trustworthy person, win
one defect that Obliged me TO send her away
Ia suilen temper when LED topefpetual com
plants OF her IN the servants nall would you
like TO see herf
Agnes accepted the proposal in the faint
hope OF getting some Information Tor the
courier's wife. The complete defeat OF every |
attempt TO trace the lost man mad oeeh ac- |
cepted as mai by Mrs ferrarl. She had de-
hberately arrayed herself IN widows mourn |
ing, and was earning her livelihood III any |
employment which the unwfsffsd kindness
of Agnes had procured for her in London |
The last chance of penetrating the mystery
of Ferrari's disappearance seemed to rest
now on what Ferrari's former fellow servant
might be able to tell. With highly wrought
expectations, Agnes followed her friend into
the room i'll which Mrs. ROLAND was waiting.
! A tall. bony woman, in the autumn of life,
\ with sunken eyes and iron gray hair, rose
| stitfiy from her chair and saluted the ladies
with stern submission as they opened the
| door. A person OF unblemlshed character,
/ eyidently-but not without visible draw
backs. Big bushy eyebrows, an awfully deep
| and solemn voice, harsh, unben6ing man.
ner, a complete absence in her figure of the
undulating lines characteristics OF the sex,
presented virtue in this excellent person
under its least auring aspect. Strangers on
first Introduction to her were accustomed
to wonder why she was not a man.
Are you pretty well, Mrs. Rolandm
Il am as well as | can expect TO be, my lady,
at my time of life
is there anything l can do for you9"
Your ladyship can do me great favor if
you will please speak to my character while |
was i'll your service. | am offered place to
wait on an invalid lady who has lately come
to live in this neighborhood'
All. yes-i have heard of her. A Mrs
Carbury, with a very pretty niece. | am told.
But, Mrs. ROLAND, you left my service some
time ago. Mrs Carbury will surely expect
YOU to refer to the last mistress by whom
YOU were employed"
A flash of virtuous indignation irradiated
Mrs Rolands sunken ewes She coughed
before She answered, as if her "last mistress
stuck in her throat.
II have explained to Mrs Carbury. my
lady. that the person last seryed-I really
cannot give her title III your Iadvship's pres
ence,-has left England for America. Mrs
Carbury knows that Quilted the person of
my own free will and knows why, and ap-
proves of my conduct so far A word from
your ladvship will be amply sufficient TO get
me the situation
VERY well, Mrs. ROLAND, have no obiec-
: ton to be vour reference under the circnm-
STANCES Mrs rarburv will find me at home
tomorrow until > o,tIockn
Mrs Carburv is NOT well enoue,h tn lava
the house. NV lady. Her niece Miss Hal
dane. Will call and make the inouirjes IL
= your laiysbin has no obiact,m
: 81 have not the least oh;actior The nrsttv
niaca CARRIES ba. own waIcop,a with ba,,
/ Wait a minnie Mrs holland This lady is
Miss Lockwoof-mv husbands cousip and
my friend She is anxious To sneak To Won
=, about the courier who was in the ,ata ord
= Montbarrv's service at Venice
u Mrs RoIland's bushv eyebrows frowuad in
stern disapproval of the new tonic of CONVEX
l. sation. II regret to hear il. NV Indy wa,
all she sail
Perhaps You have not been informed OF
Il what happened after YOU left Venice" Ar
hes ventmed to add. "Ferrari left the place
T secretly, md has never been heard of since
{ Mrs Eoliand mysterionsly closed her eyes
! as if to exclude some vision of the lost cou
u rler. which WAS Of a nature to disturb a re
g spectacle woman. Nothing that Mr.. Ferrar
= could do would surprise me- she replied il
II her deepest bass tones.
y "You speak rather harshly of him" sale
ii Agnes.
: Mrs. Roland suddenly opened her eye
i again Il speak haIshiy of nobody withou
y reason, she said. Mr.. FerTari behaved Il
me, Miss Lockwood, as no man living ha
: ever behaved-bef0re Or since"
d Nv hat did h~ dor
Mrs. ROLAND answered with a stony star
/! OF horror: He took liberties with me
s. Young Lady Montharry suddenly turnet
, aside ana put her handkerchief over be
mouth IN commissions OF suppressed laughter
Mrs ROLAND went on, with grim enjo g
/ ment of the bewilderment which her repl
u had produced III Agnes. And when insisted
ii on an apology, miss, he had the audacity tt
e say that the life at the palace was dull, AM
II be didn't know how else to amuse himselfl'
IL a am AFRAID | have hardly made mysel
understood said Agnes. Il am not speak
y ing toyou out OF any interest i'll FerrarI. Ar
II You aware that he Is married"
l. Il pity hls vile, said Mrs. ROLAND.
IL She is naturally IN great grief about him,
It Agnes proceeded
= she ought 10 thank TOD she Is rid OF him,
i Mrs. Roland interposed
Is Agnes still persisted Il have known Mrs
T. Ferrari from her childhood, and l am siI